I'm looking for a program to make installing and updating software easier (dependency checks and what-not.) Both swaret and slapt-get seem to be well suited to this task.

So I'm wondering what people here use. Is there any real advantage that one has over the other or is it just a matter of preference?

I've used apt4rpm on SuSE in the past and found it very useful, especially when it comes to installing unofficial packages. I would like something that can do the same for Slackware if possible.

What do you use, if anything?

I use Swaret. It can install uofficial packages and takes care of deps. check it out!

Why not use both... swaret is terrific at updating core packages, but I heard that slapt-get is nice for easily installing non-core packages (apps not inside any of the Slackware distribution CDs).

I tried to use swaret recently to add KDE 3.2 to a kde/qt free 9.1 install. swaret downloaded 3 different sets of KDE w/o asking. It grabbed the base kde from a slack mirror and 2 kde's from linuxpackages.net. It was probally a user config problem, but I still think I should've been prompted to slect a set of packages instead of all 3 sets being downloaded.

I'm currently using slapt-get.
First thing I did was create a symbolic link.
ln -s /sbin/slapt-get /sbin/apt

Now I just type "apt --update" and "apt --upgrade" to patch my system.
The main attraction to slapt-get for me is the exclude list. For example I run dropline gnome. By default slapt-get will not try to upgrade (read hose) your dropline install.

It also excludes any kernel and lilo updates from the automatic upgrade mode. You can still use slapt-get to update your kernel manually it just takes a few more switchs to override the exclude list.

These are just the program defaults

Slapt-get simply works and the default settings will not hose your system.

No comment on using slapt-get to add 3rd party packages. I usually build from source and then make my packages available to others.

Just try both and pick the one that works best for you.

markpmc

I use swaret and only add/remove linuxpackages.net when I want specific packages and deps. I don't leave in LP to update the whole system. I leave the core packages up to Pat V. No offense package builders, I just trust Pat more! ;-)

Just a thought

markpmc,

You must be severely mistaken. Swaret does not support packages from external repositories (like linuxpackages.net) by default. Also kernel and lilo updates are also excluded from the default swaret config since at least December 2003.

I'm sorry, but none of the things you mentioned about swaret in your post makes any sense... you're sure it's swaret that you used? And are your sure that it is a "recent" version?

Yep. I was using swaret. Grabbed it from the link on LPN.

Okay. So we have a difference of opinion here. After my install KDE attempt with swaret I tried slapt-get and decided to stick w/ slapt-get.

Remember that revenant ask for opinions. Feel free to address futher remarks his way.

markpmc

i used swaret to upgrade to kde 3.2, no problem if your swaret conf file(reject,accept,mirror,etc..) is ok, no trouble, that's it that's all it takes to upgrade properly.

Has anyone tried kswaret?

http://kswaret.sourceforge.net/

This is a really good GUI for swaret. It make configuration very simple and it works flawlessly.
I don't mind working in a command line, but I'm all for tools like this that make life easier.

markmpc,

I'm not saying it's wrong to have opinions, but the way you put it in writing, is that by default swaret downloads and installs packages without asking. This is untrue even since the first public version of swaret.

The only way that swaret would do that is if you actually override it by using swaret --upgrade kde -a instead of swaret --upgrade kde.

And for your whole description of slapt-get (which BTW, I do use myself for non-core packages) which I'm sure you're very familiar with, will be just as true if you switch the word slapt-get with swaret.

Again, I remind you that I'm not bashing your opinions... And the reason for me addressing you instead of the thread starter is that you are the one who made these claims, which honestly, never happened to me. I also believe that my reply to your statements is necessary for the original poster to make a wiser decision.

Honestly though, it's actually up to you, revenant, there's no harm in using both these apps. Either of them work very well if configured properly.

In your haste to defend swaret I think you missed line 4 or 5 in the first paragraph of my first post.

markpmc

Well, the way I see it, it's more of a user problem than a config one...

But hey, maybe I really did miss that line in my haste to "defend" (?) swaret.

If you're offended in any way, I offer my sincerest apologies... It's a habit of mine, if I know what's being said is wrong, then I'll just say it's wrong.

lol, and it's not even in a .tgz format! How ironic is that?

Edit>
I'm downloading it now, but once I finish configuring and running make, I'm going to use checkinstall to install it. I've got to say that checkinstall is one of my favorite programs. The fact that I don't have to keep all of those folders just to remove a program safely is kind of reassuring.